Peter’s story is one of resilience and struggle. Together with Meru Hospice palliative care team, we recently met Peter Mutwiri at his home in a small, rural village in Meru County. Peter is a married father of two young children and a farm labourer. At just 35 years old Peter is contending with the physical, emotional and financial devastation that life-limiting illness brings.
After experiencing swelling of his right shoulder, Peter underwent a biopsy, and in December 2021 was diagnosed with sarcoma, a type of cancer. Scraping together family savings and with help from friends, Peter managed to find enough money to receive chemotherapy, but he needed radiotherapy to complete his treatment. Sadly, Peter spent the small amount of savings the family had left on transport to hospital in Nairobi, only to find once he got there that he was unable to afford the cost of radiotherapy. Unable to secure treatment, Peter’s cancer has spread. His pain has since become unbearable and his mobility extremely limited. His wife supports him and the whole family as best she can, but with Peter unable to work, the financial burden is overwhelming.
Meru Hospice has been a lifeline for Peter and his family. When we visited, he was in obvious pain. His wife was clearly under a lot of stress. She looked so sad and hopeless. The hospice nurses were able to provide Peter with morphine to relieve his pain, they helped dress his wound, and spent some time talking with the family to help them cope with the challenges they’re facing. The hospice also brings basic food so the family does not run out. Regular home visits ensure the family receives free compassionate care and support, and the hospice helps Peter to attend day-care sessions where he meets other patients and can benefit from group and one-to-one counselling.
This is the harsh reality faced by many families living in similar circumstances in Kenya. Peter’s cancer has not only caused him physical suffering, but has placed overwhelming stress on the whole family and brought devastating financial strain on his household. Hospices do what they can with limited resources, a little goes a long way in improving life for families facing the challenges of life-limiting illness, but there are many more families in need of support.
Current supply problems in Kenya mean that many people living with cancer are not receiving morphine and are living in pain. With your donation we could purchase and provide morphine to our hospice partners in Kenya, reaching those patients most in need. Please donate today and bring relief from pain and suffering to children and adults in Kenya who are being left behind in pain. Just £10 provides a month’s supply of morphine for a patient like Peter. Thank you.